Oasis
by TheLastNumberOfPi
Summary: When Vivi hears that Baroque Works agents have been sniffing around her beloved company, Alabasta Waters, she's distraught. But she's not the kind of lady to sit and do nothing. Infiltrating Baroque Works as a secretary is the easy part. But will she be able to outwit the enigmatic Sir. Crocodile? AU CrocodilexVivi
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to my new fic, inspired by the unacceptable lack of CrocodilexVivi works. I hope you enjoy it and are inspired in turn. **

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**Oasis**

Chapter 1

Vivi Nefertari scuttled down one of the many bland corridors of the huge Alabasta Water headquarters, her heels clicking off the highly polished floor. Her father had messaged her the details of an emergency conference that was due to start in five minutes. As the daughter of the CEO, and heir to the company, she could not be late! She only paused at the portrait of her mother, hung outside her father's office. Not wanting to turn up flushed and panting for breath she quickly decided that she was close enough to walk. She waved to the mother she barely remembered as she hurried on. They were nearly identical, with the same wide-set purple eyes and wavy blue hair. Vivi had always been pleased that they looked so similar; it was something that irrefutably connected them.

Vivi rounded the final corner and stopped, listening for any sign that the conference was already underway. Hearing nothing she straightened her crisp suit, collected herself and entered. Cobra, her father, acknowledged her with a quick nod and motioned for her to take a seat. Just in time! As the final members of the team entered, Vivi flipped open her notebook. She had a very real role in this company; she was not just a pretty face for PR to show off. She'd been preparing to take over the company after her father since she was a child and now, at the age of 22, was his advisor and newly appointed head of finance. The people of Grand Line City relied heavily on Alabasta Water to protect them from drought and Vivi was not prepared to let a single person down, especially not due to negligence and laziness on her part. She would do whatever was needed to make the company a success, and ultimately ensure the welfare of every resident in the city. No matter what.

Cobra finally cleared his throat, silence instantly falling over the table. Vivi always felt weird seeing her goofy father so serious. As her eyes roamed around the table she supposed that applied to a few other people here as well. Ever since her mother had died Vivi had spent her spare time here, instead of at nursery or with a babysitter, and as such many of the senior directors and managers were more like family than anything. Pell and Chaka were here, the ones she was closest with, and they also looked uncharacteristically serious.  
"I've gathered you all here as a matter of some urgency and I'm afraid secrecy." Cobra began, "I know you can all be trusted to keep this meeting to yourself."  
There was a general murmur of agreement as Vivi made a quick note of who was present.  
"I have received some rather worrying reports from workers at the reservoir who say they have seen people skulking around the place. They appeared to be looking for something." Cobra sighed heavily, his face lined with stress.  
"They looked like Baroque Works employees."  
Vivi felt her heart sink. The committee seemed to reflect her dread, even letting lose a few muttered curses.  
Baroque Works was a large oil company, its gleaming headquarters visible even from where she was sitting. Now it seemed to loom even larger against the skyline, casting a shadow of gloom. The owner and CEO was the notorious Sir. Crocodile. He was known throughout the business world as a shark. His methods were barely legal and certainly not moral, but he always got results and supplied most of the city with their energy needs. That the reservoir seemed to have attracted his attention was not good.  
"I think it best that Crocodile doesn't realise that we know what he's up to. Mainly because we don't know what he's up to and he may be tempted to make his move before we can implement any defense. I have an old friend who has a position in Baroque Works who may be able to shed some light on the situation, but until I get a chance to talk to him we must keep this quiet. Does anyone have any other ideas?"

After a hours of frustration, and a page of useless or impractical suggestions in Vivi's notebook, it became clear that no one could think of anything that would reveal Crocodile's plan. Cobra finally stood up again, "Thank you my friends for lending me so much of your time. I can see we're going to have to sleep on this problem. Rest assured that I will put every effort into making this a success."  
Eventually, after everyone had gloomily shuffled out, Vivi and her father were left alone.  
"Don't worry too much Vivi. Try and get some sleep and I'll call Igaram. I'm sure we'll figure this out."  
"Yeah." Vivi managed a wobbly smile. "Make sure you don't wear yourself out either."  
"Goodnight Darling."

* * *

By the time Vivi had reached their apartment she was on the verge of tears. Alabasta Water meant everything to their family. Cobra had founded it along with Vivi's mother. Before they had, Grand Line City had been classified as a drought zone, causing economic instability and making life very challenging. That could not happen again! Crocodile's could not be allowed to bring the city to ruin! But as Vivi mechanically got ready for bed, she had to admit she couldn't come up with any real plan. It was starting to feel like the only way to know what Crocodile was up to was to ask him and that definitely wasn't an option. Faintly she could hear the low hum of her father's voice in his own room. He must be on the phone to Igaram.

Igaram was a very dear friend to the family. He had worked at Alabasta Water until Sir. Crocodile moved into the city and set up his own company. Igaram, knowing Crocodile's reputation, had insisted on installing himself at Baroque Works to keep an eye on things. At the time Vivi and Cobra had thought he was overreacting and pleaded with him to stay… Now it was looking like their future depended on him. Vivi placed her ear to the wall, trying to get a better idea of what was going on but only caught the click of a phone being hung up and a deep sigh from her father. No. It didn't seem like the enigmatic Sir. Crocodile had given up his secrets so easily.

Hours later Vivi still lay awake. Her mind was whirring and she was still too panicked at the news to sleep. She tried to calm herself, what she needed to do now was be logical.  
Who would know what the plans were?  
Crocodile.  
Okay, who else?  
Nico Robin, the Chief Financial Officer and head of PR at Baroque Works, probably would. Would she spill the beans?  
Unlikely. Crocodile had quite a fearsome reputation as a boss and it was hard to imagine that there would be someone at Baroque Works willing to double cross such a man.  
Vivi rolled over and pressed her face into the pillow.  
Okay, what else would work.  
Surely there was a hard copy of what Crocodile was up to. Anything major would take months to prepare and leave a serious trail of paperwork. Crocodile wasn't the type to entrust anyone but himself with documents like that.  
So, she needed to get her hands on a copy of those files. Igaram wouldn't be able to get close to Crocodile's office without raising suspicion since he worked in Admissions.  
...Igaram worked in Admissions.  
And suddenly Vivi knew exactly what she had to do.

She rolled quietly out of bed and grabbed her phone. After checking she had Igaram's number she tiptoed onto a small balcony attached to her room. It was essential not to wake her father. If he got an idea of what she was planning he'd definitely try to stop her. And if Alabasta Water, a very benevolent company had someone on the inside, Baroque Works definitely had people here. The less people knew the better. She shut the door softly behind her and called Igaram. Vivi's heart was in her mouth as several tones went by, but eventually she heard:  
"Vivi?"  
"Igaram, sorry to call you so late. Did my father tell you everything?"  
"Yes, but I'm afraid I don't know what that fiend could be planning. I don't have a particularly senior role in the company."  
"That's okay, I called because I need a favour."  
"Ah."

* * *

Vivi slipped into the seat opposite Igaram at a quiet café. The sunny day had prompted her to wear a light sundress and sunglasses, but they contrasted almost comically with the dark mood of the meeting.  
"Thank you for agreeing to meet for lunch at such short notice, Igaram."  
"It's no trouble." Her old mentor flashed her a quick smile before frowning again. "Vivi, you know I would do anything to help Alabasta Water, but your safety is the most important thing to me. Will you not reconsider? Or at least tell Cobra."  
Vivi sighed. "Igaram… My father wouldn't let me go! You know as well as I do that this is the only way we could even get a chance to see those plans! I'm happy to risk my safety if it means that we can continue to protect this city! Please help me!"  
Igaram still didn't look happy. It wasn't surprising since he'd almost replaced the role of a mother in Vivi's life, but he also knew that they couldn't risk the lives of people who lived here.  
"I suspected you wouldn't budge." There was a sigh. "And as such I spent this morning looking into any job vacancies."  
Some of the tension left Vivi's face and she relaxed into her chair a little. "Thank you." She said softly.  
"Hmm. Well I have found one role that is theoretically sound. Next week one of the secretaries is going on maternity leave. Since her replacement hasn't been finalised yet, I can get you that position."  
"Who's secretary?"  
"…Crocodile's."  
Vivi let out a wry chuckle. She'd been hoping to get close to the office without being under direct scrutiny, but it seemed she'd have to be even more careful than she'd expected.  
"We're lucky to even have that. Yes, please Igaram."  
Her friend nodded, though the edges of his mouth were still tight with worry. "I'll see that it happens. I will email you the details within the next few days. But I'd better head back now before I'm missed."  
The huge man gathered himself up. "It was nice to see you again, Vivi. Even though I might wish for better circumstances. Remember though that you have a very important role within your own company. You will be hard to do without, even for a few weeks."  
Vivi stood as well and smiled as she was enveloped in a hug. "Ah, don't worry. I'm off for a meeting with the best money spinner in the city."

* * *

"Vivi! Over here!"

At the slightly shrill call, Vivi finally spotted her friend and started battling her way through the crowd. Naturally Nami had picked the poshest, most expensive café in the whole of Grand Line City to meet up in.

"Nami," Vivi smiled broadly, "It's always good to see you."

Her friend flipped her waves of tangerine hair, causing several passing men to gape at her. "Of course it is. But I know you're not just here to catch up, Vivi. You wouldn't have left me a panicky voicemail at two in the morning if this was just a chat."

And that was that. Nami was an incurable flirt, but she was as sharp as a tack. Vivi had known from the outset that she'd have to share everything with her and in truth she wanted to! Nami always had brilliant advice and she wasn't afraid to help with the morally dubious either.

"Yeah, thank you for coming." Vivi gave her friend a tired smile. "I'm afraid I do need a favour…"

After explaining the whole sorry situation, including her future stint as Crocodile's secretary, Vivi sat back with a sigh. Nami had a distant look that Vivi had come to associate with big costs for somebody.

"So you need me to take over finances while you pose as a secretary in the hopes of stealing copies of Crocodile's nefarious plans."

"Pretty much."

Nami whipped out a smart phone and started tapping out a message. "I like it. Things are pretty quiet at the store at the moment since I retired from modelling, did I tell you what a sleaze my manager was? Zoro can handle things for a while."

Vivi leaned across the table and hugged her. "And I'll make sure you'll get the same wages as I did."

Nami gave her a broad wink. "I know I can always count on you. You also have to spill all the beans on your new boss! Crocodile is one of the most mysterious men in the city, I'm curious!"

Vivi laughed, feeling better than she had since the conference. "You're the best Nami."

"Tell me about it. Now that's out of the way we can have a real hang out session."

* * *

The next week had passed in a blur of worry and dread, even with various pep talks and retail therapy with Nami. It was the start of her first day and Vivi stood outside the main doors of the towering Baroque Works headquarters, sincerely worried that she was going to throw up. She'd gotten up at 4 in the morning, having woken up in a cold sweat and unable to get back to sleep, and had tried every time wasting tactic she knew. She'd even fretted over what to wear for an hour this morning, eventually settling on a grey suit with a smart pencil skirt. But even with all that she'd been in plenty of time catch her train. She'd told her father that she was doing a job swap with Nami for a while to get a better idea of which areas of the city could do with more support. It worked, but the tearful speech about how proud he was had left her stomach roiling with guilt. But this task was more important than anything, even her conscience, and she would do anything in her power to save Alabasta Water.

Squaring her shoulders and lifting her slightly pointed chin Vivi marched on into the building and headed to the main desk. A pretty brunette greeted her with a professional smile and asked her what she needed help with. Vivi gave and answering smile, feeling cold sweat breaking out on her forehead.

"Hi, I'm the new secretary. I'm covering for Sunny Mille while she's on maternity leave. I'm here to pick up my pass?"

"Ah, yes. If you could just fill out this form, I'll go get that for you."

There was a moments panic when Vivi forgot what fake surname Igaram had registered her with, but aside from that small blip, Vivi was soon handed her pass.

"Vivi Mentiri was it? You're here in good time. Sir. Crocodile usually gets in at nine, so you have fourty minutes to get your desk sorted. A computer account has been created for you. The username is just your surname and the password is password until you log in and change it." The receptionist smiled. "Have a good day and feel free to come ask me if you have any problems."

"Thank you."

And with that Vivi headed off, heels clicking loudly off the highly polished floor, to find her desk. That had been easier than she expected, but her heart was still pounding from the feeling that she was taking a huge risk. As the elevator doors closed and whisked her off to the top floor, Vivi closed her eyes and collected herself. She couldn't look overly nervous or draw too much attention to herself; the big man was notoriously suspicious. She'd be here for a couple of weeks and then she'd be out again and Crocodile would be stopped. She just had to keep that in mind and keep her head down.

Finding her desk wasn't as hard as she expecting since there were still gaudy CONGRATULATIONS streamers hung around it. It was just as well she'd turned up early, it looked like she'd be spending the next half hour tidying up and setting up her computer. Luckily she didn't have much of her own things. As she started pulling down streamers and throwing them away, other workers started to come in. Many of them offered her smiles and greetings, which helped towards settling her nerves. In fact she was so focused on getting settled and greeting everyone that she failed to notice the intimidating form of her boss saunter past and sweep into his office. She was in the middle of chatting to the lively secretary at the desk next to hers, a Miss Monday, when the phone on her desk crackled to life with a screech of static.  
"Coffee… Now."

And then the line went dead. Once she'd recovered from her minor heart attack, Vivi asked her new co-worker the all-important question.

"Where's the coffee machine?"

The lady chuckled. "Hollering for coffee already? It's just on the right, through that door. There should be some ready to go and the mugs are hanging from the shelf. His says 'World's Best Boss'. I believe he likes it black."

Vivi found the room and the (surely) ironic mug with little trouble and within a couple of minutes was knocking on Sir Crocodile's door with a cup of black coffee in hand.

It was time to meet her new boss.

**That's the end of the chapter folks! I hope you liked it. Please review and let me know how you found it. :) **


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's Chapter 2. :) Hope people enjoy it. Please leave comments to let me know what you think, even if you hate it! I'd love to have some feedback as to how I'm doing. May I also recommend that this fic be viewed in the ¾ option? It looks so much better that way, trust me. So without further ado let's continue. **

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**Chapter 2**

Time to meet the big man himself. Her heart in her throat Vivi tentatively stepped into the huge office, coffee mug held in front of her like a shield. She could only hope that sporting such an obvious caffeine addiction meant that Crocodile was currently at sub-par levels of wit and concentration. But seeing the man in question made her pause. This was the famous business shark? Really? He looked more like a common criminal than the shady founder of a business empire. Tall and broad shouldered was one thing, but the man had shoulder length hair and, Vivi tried not to stare too obviously, a thick scar running horizontally across his face. Stretching from one ear to the next such a feature was so totally out of place in a smart office that Vivi had trouble adjusting. _Was that a fur coat? _She was jolted from her thoughts when the intimidating man stuck out one huge hand in her general direction and grunted, making it clear that he wasn't pleased about waiting for his drink. He still hadn't looked at her, preferring to continue checking his emails. Vivi carefully placed the mug into the outstretched hand and watched, more than slightly puzzled, as he drained it. Was this really the knife sharp Sir Crocodile? Ruiner of Lives and Plunderer of Fortunes?

There was a long pause as her new boss cracked his knuckles and gradually started to look more alert. The coffee seemed to be doing the trick. Vivi was still startled when he suddenly rasped, "What the hell Sunny, that was the worst cup of coffee you've made in a long time."

This was not only patently unfair, but also slightly puzzling. It looked like Vivi was going to have to introduce herself. She cursed to herself, having hoped to be in and out in a matter of seconds. She cleared her throat and tried to keep her voice steady. "It's Vivi, sir. I'm replacing Sunny while she's on maternity leave."

Crocodile stopping typing and stared blankly at his screen. There was a long silence before he managed, "Sunny was pregnant?"

This certainly wasn't the heart-stopping showdown that Vivi had been expecting. Vivi had met Sunny for a brief interview and the woman had been ready to pop.

"…Extremely, sir."

At this he finally looked at her and Vivi was completely dispelled of the illusion that this man wasn't in charge. His eyes pierced her, freezing her in place. They were a shocking shade of gold and it felt like every detail of her life was exposed. This was a man who saw other people as insects and in the wake of that cold regard Vivi found herself frozen. Those eyes changed Sir. Crocodile's appearance from that of a thug, to a fully-fledged villain.

"Don't be cheeky."

As he turned to face her Vivi felt a crushing panic well up in her chest. He lounged in his chair with all the confidence of a predator and his presence was intimidating enough to scare the wits out of her. He scanned her up and down, eyes slightly narrowed. Vivi felt utterly naked before him. Eventually he growled,

"We only have natural hair colours in this company. I'm not running a circus."  
Now Vivi wasn't sure whether to be viscerally terrified or extremely irritated.

"It is natural." She managed to get out through gritted teeth.

Crocodile gave her a patronising look. "Oh, did I hit a nerve?"

Only a nerve made tender by having been told the same thing at every school and summer job she could remember.

But now Crocodile was giving her another once over. "How did you come to be my secretary? I've never seen you working here before and we don't hire amateurs."

At this point irritating was scorching away some of Vivi's panic and she sneered, "I am _not_ an amateur. And I was attracted by the dazzling charisma of the people here."

It was perfectly delivered. Scathing enough to get the point across, but just deadpan enough to claim sincerity. And _God _Vivi wished she had just kept her big mouth shut. Sir. Crocodile slowly raised an eyebrow and gave her another once over, purposefully making his gaze as slow as molasses. By the time he was looking in her eyes again, Vivi felt like she was going to faint out of pure nerves, though she did everything in her power to keep a poker face. Without warning Crocodile's face cracked into a half smile. He appeared to have found her flash of temper amusing.

"Get back to work, Cheeky. I don't have all day to listen to you whining."

And with that he swivelled back to his computer and Vivi was abruptly dismissed.

She was still in an adrenaline-induced haze when she flopped into her desk chair. After sitting there blankly for a moment she slowly and deliberately banged her head on her desk. What the hell was that? She was supposed to be keeping a low profile! And what in hells bells was _wrong _with her, she was _definitely _not supposed to find Crocodile's wicked half smirk attractive!

And had he been checking her out?

* * *

Oh _God _he was definitely checking her out. And he wasn't making even the barest minimum of effort to disguise it. It was almost like he was trying to make her uncomfortable on purpose. Vivi tried to take a sneaky peak up from her mug of tea and was instantly pinned by those hooded, yellow eyes. She dropped her eyes again as her stomach jolted and she could have sworn she heard a smug little bark of laughter. Scratch that. He was definitely trying to make her uncomfortable. The whole floor had been piled into the little coffee room for someone's birthday, Vivi still wasn't sure whose, and from the moment he entered the room he'd started this little game. Vivi could only mournfully assume it was some kind of twisted punishment for answering back earlier and boy was it doing it's job. She felt flustered and self-conscious, though she was trying not to let it show. And the worst part was that he was still strangely attractive. The utter confidence and power he exuded, combined with that crooked smirk of amusement was appealing to all of Vivi's cavelady instincts to find strong, intimidating men attractive. And it was beyond frustrating that he was trying to use that against her!

Sullenly Vivi tried to think about what Nami would do. Her friend was a stone cold man-eater, as well as an expert manipulator and would not have stood for this nonsense. Nami's normal tactic was to seduce her target and then dump them so fast their head spun, though Vivi wasn't completely sure she was allowed to do that. Vivi changed another sidelong glance and was rewarded with an eyeful of that arrogant grin. Well maybe a little taste of his own medicine wouldn't hurt. Still not looking at him, Vivi turned to talk to Monday, smiling prettily. She casually crossed her legs, letting her skirt ride up just a tad, and straightened up a little, showing off the graceful curves of her legs and neck. When she chanced another glance at her annoying boss, she got a smug expression of her very own. He was no longer boring a hole in the side of her head, his gaze having dropped down to her legs and his expression looked a touch more… appreciative. Vivi flashed him a triumphant look when he finally had the grace to look back up at her face. For a moment he looked torn between annoyed and amused, before the corner of his mouth twitched up slightly, and he gave her a look that promised that while she may have won this _very _minor battle of wills, he was definitely going to win the war.

Vivi didn't have any trouble believing that.

* * *

The rest of the week was spent with some variations on the theme of a stare down. Vivi would come in at 9:05am sharp with a steaming mug of black coffee, she definitely wasn't brave enough to be the one to stand between Crocodile and his morning caffeine boost, then Crocodile would say something inflammatory and they'd stand around exchanging point barbs and snark for a couple of minutes, before Vivi was ordered back to her desk to work. In their verbal spars Crocodile had the distinct advantage of being allowed to be openly rude and could dismiss her at a whim. Vivi was limited to thinly veiled sarcasm and pointed looks. And every morning, as she turned to shut the door on her way out, she would catch her boss looking at her ass. He was never even remotely embarrassed about that. He didn't even have the grace to let that stand as a few points in her favour in their slightly strange battle of wits, instead choosing to make a lazy shooing gesture at her that left her even more infuriated with his games.

Of course Vivi hadn't let this bizarre development stop her from trying to fulfil her mission, but it was difficult to scope out Crocodile's office with those burning gold eyes tracked her every move. She'd seen a few promising looking files, but she hadn't yet had a chance to explore the office without him there and the idea of being caught poking around was enough to put the fear of God into her. And if she was perfectly honest she was a little tempted to sample a bit more of Crocodile's strange idea of flirting. If that's what he even considered it. Vivi was trying very hard not to let it get to her. A little fun teasing him was harmless, but she could not allow anything to get in the way of her work. However, she was starting to catch herself acting… well _silly. _Like suddenly taking so much longer to pick an outfit and do her makeup in the morning. Or finding obscure excuses to go into his office and ask him something. Not too many times obviously, she was careful not to let him think she was in any way fond of him, that really would tilt that balance of power in his favour.

As if he'd heard her thoughts Vivi's answer machine crackled to life. "More coffee."

Grumbling quietly Vivi got to her feet and took the comically familiar route to the coffee room. Sir Crocodile, for all his fearsome reputation and grim sense of humour, had a hardcore coffee addiction. On her third day here the coffee machine had broken down and Vivi had been seriously concerned that her formidable boss was going to have a stroke. She'd heard him moments later on the phone to the head of the maintenance team, threatening to shove the 'wretched contraption' so far up the poor man's ass he'd become cyborg. Five minutes later, Franky had come legging it up to the top floor, sweating bullets. Vivi giggled at the memory. If Crocodile wasn't the cold blooded reptile trying to ruin her company she'd have found the memory almost endearing.

After the machine had sluggishly spat out a respectable cup of coffee Vivi made her way to the main office and let herself in. Crocodile glanced up at her and impatiently motioned for his coffee. He seemed to be engrossed in a stack of paperwork as thick as her arm and Vivi, slightly regretfully, figured that they wouldn't be engaging in their usual clash of wills. She left the cup on his desk and turned to leave when a deep voice stopped her in her tracks and nearly stopped her heart with nerves.

"I haven't seen that skirt before."

There was a smirk in his voice and Vivi stopped, her heart pounding. He'd noticed? She had been in two minds about wearing it. It was tight, grey and maybe just a teeny bit shorter than was strictly necessary. She'd been expecting an appreciative look or two, not an inquisition! However she tried to keep a perfectly blank face as she turned back. "I'm sure stranger things have happened."

But Crocodile still looked amused, and that hooded gaze _burned. _Vivi felt her cheeks heating up despite her attempts to be nonchalant. Her stomach clenched tightly as he slowly stood and sauntered a little closer. His eyes trailed up and down, his brow furrowed slightly as if he was actually just talking fashion. "Hmm, I like it." He murmured, "Do a twirl for me."

Vivi's heart thudded painfully and her cheeks burned. "Wh- You can't ask me to do that!"

At that Crocodile gave the biggest smile she'd seen to date. He leaned forward, far too close, far too close, and growled in her ear. "Darling, I can do anything I want. Now, twirl."

When Vivi stared at him, mouth slightly open in shock and heartbeat thudding in her ears, his golden eyes narrowed. "That was an order."

However, it wasn't snapped, as Vivi almost expected, in fact the man towering over her seemed to be turning on the charm. His voice was deep and smooth and strangely compelling. With her heart in her mouth Vivi found herself complying, doing a slow turn and praying she didn't look as awkward as she felt under that predatory gaze. When she finally mustered up the nerve to look Crocodile in the eye again she felt a rush of warmth tingle down her spine. Her heart beat wildly out of control as she recognised the dark look in his eyes as desire and she knew her expression was probably similar. After a moment, the tension so thick in the air that Vivi felt dizzy, Crocodile gave her another slow once over and stepped back. He lounged back down at his desk and picked up the thick sheaf of paper. "Well that should get me through this."

And he had the _nerve _to wink at her. "Now get back to work."

Vivi beat a hasty retreat.

* * *

Nami gave her friend a long slow look over the rim of her latte. Vivi had quickly scheduled a please-please-come-my-treat lunch with Nami, desperately needing some advice.

"So let me get this straight." Her friend finally broke the silence. "It turns out that your new boss is a mega hottie, you've been aggressively flirting for the whole week, you're ninety percent sure he wants to get into your pants and you find yourself wanting to make sweet music with that man."

Vivi pouted, a little sullen that her friend was so calm about this. "I guess… If you want to make it really simple."

Nami chuckled softly, "Trust me. When it comes to sorting out relationships, the simpler you can make it the better."

She reached over the table and squeezed Vivi's hand lightly. "And stop worrying so much! Everyone's had a bit of an office fling." Nami flashed her a wink. "And he sounds pretty hot!"

Vivi's frowned. "But he's trying to ruin Alabasta Waters…"

"Vivi, lets say you did do something with him. You ended up in his crazy BDSM sex dungeon and orgasmed an inconceivable number of times. Would that really stop you from doing what you came here for?"

Vivi fiddled anxiously with a lock of blue hair as she thought about that. "No, I guess not."

"So, you know, why don't you just see what happens? I'm not saying you have to jump in at the deep end and be bent over his desk by this evening. But just see what you want to do. And don't let him try and tell you that a kiss means you have to go all the way."

Nami gave her a long, calculating look.

"And we're going underwear shopping."

* * *

When she finally got back to the small apartment she'd rented for a couple of months, Vivi went straight to bed. Unceremoniously dumping the bags crammed full of scandalous underwear and subtly sexy skirts on the ground Vivi started getting ready for bed in a daze. As soon as work had ended Nami had swooped in and whisked her off to the shopping district. That was hours ago. Vivi finally collapsed into her beautifully soft bed, groaning as she felt the tension of the day leave her back and spine. When she was settled and comfortable she reluctantly allowed herself some time to think, though it was tempting to just ignore the issue. Was Nami right? Could she really have a purely physical relationship with Crocodile that satisfied her and still let her walk out of the company with the plans? An Office Fling as Nami had titled it. She'd never previously seen herself as that kind of girl. She had a couple of exes who had all been sweet and, when the time had been right for them to sleep together, gentle but they'd also gotten unbearably dull after the excitement of a budding romance and the initial chemistry had died down. Crocodile was nothing like them. Even from the short time she'd known him Vivi knew that he was not sweet, he was not gentle and he certainly wasn't boring. The hint of danger that he gave off was enough to make Vivi's attraction to him electrifying.

Vivi had to admit, even if she wasn't the type of girl to have a fling, Crocodile certainly made the offer tempting.

* * *

**The big introduction. This is my first time trying to right chemistry, so I hope that turned out even mildly attractive. As always, please let me know what you thought. :) **


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the long wait guys, pretty lame of me. Thank you to all the new followers. I really appreciate the feedback and support. You guys rock. 3 To any new readers: Please enjoy and let me know what you think! **

**Chapter 3**

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Vivi skittered through the main doors of Baroque Works, trying to go as quickly as possible without attracting attention. She'd managed to let time get away from her this morning and had raced through the main entrance with only ten minutes to spare! If she didn't hurry she wouldn't be ready for the day before Crocodile got here. Even the thought of it frazzled her delicate nerves. She also knew it would give him a serious edge in their very weird little war. With a sigh of relief Vivi scurried into the elevator just as the doors were sliding shut. Maybe she'd make it on time after all! It took a moment for the flustered lady to collect herself and catch her breath after her mad rush. Eventually though Vivi started to get a feeling that something wasn't quite right about this scenario. She had noticed that there was someone else in the elevator as the doors slid shut behind her, but had been in such a tizzy that she hadn't paid any attention to them. Now she was seeing the casual stance of her companion, hands shoved deep into the pockets of a very smart, expensive looking suit. Vivi eyes trailed slowly up, noting a _very _familiar fur coat slung casually over broad shoulders. Her heart dropped like a stone, solid with embarrassment. Did she really have to look up and confirm her fears?

"Miss Vivi. Do you usually get in five minutes before I do? Unusual behaviour for someone who is 'not an amateur'."

Looks like she didn't have to, not when Crocodile was so happy to take that burden from her.

"The trains were delayed." Vivi lied without a moment of hesitation. "And I've never known you to be even a second earlier than nine, so you can't complain."

This was self evidently true so Crocodile decided that he hadn't heard her. He seemed unusually thoughtful and after a moments contemplative silence he carefully brushed a thick lock of her hair back into place with powerful fingers. Vivi noted in the back of her mind that she must be much more dishevelled from her run than she'd thought, but that was a very small thought. The atmosphere changed dramatically. All at once all Vivi could think about was her longing to know what Crocodile was promising her. He wasn't even trying to hide his own interest and from the look in his eyes Vivi knew that he was _very _interested. Those lidded golden eyes lazily examined the lock of blue hair. "Is this really natural?" His voice was cool and casual, but not quite managing to hide a glimmer of desire.

The question was insolent, but Vivi got the impression that Crocodile was just grasping at any excuse to touch her, no matter how feeble it was. The idea made her tingle deliciously. For appearances sake she muttered, "Tch, you know it's not that unusual…"

She was pleased that her voice sounded steady, despite her pounding heartbeat. Crocodile hummed noncommittally in response and the low sound sent shivers down Vivi's spine. He was way too close now, but she couldn't bring herself to move away. The cramped elevator was suffused with his musk and his presence made her feel breathless and faint. He was overwhelming. He remarked, "I suppose it suits you."

With that Crocodile gave her a roguish smile and straightened up, just as the lift dinged to a halt. "If coffee isn't on my desk in five minutes I'll consider you late and I _know_ you'd hate that."

And with that he was gone, leaving Vivi slightly stunned and inappropriately aroused for an office scenario. As she stood there, flushed crimson and slightly stunned, she had the sinking suspicion that despite her best efforts she was playing right into his hands.

After she'd hastily pulled herself together and attended her morning duties, Vivi spent the rest avoiding her infuriating boss. It made her tremble to think of his burning gaze, the hot trail of his fingertips as he tucked her hair behind her ear… So she didn't think about it. Vivi threw herself into every mundane task she could find, especially ones that took her a little further away from the office than the norm. She knew deep down that this kind of avoidance strategy wasn't going to solve anything, but the guilt she felt for being attracted to that man was overwhelming. For now at least it was easier to avoid it. Especially since she had to admit that she hadn't been doing anything to douse the spark between them. It had just been so _fun _to tease a little with coy glances and a cute skirt every now and again. Feeling that molten gold gaze on her had been thrilling; it had made her feel like she was basking in the heat of his attraction. It still sent tingles down her spine, but now it was sort of terrifying as well. To be wanted by such a powerful man was electrifying. Normally Vivi was able to dismiss men who were nothing but good looks, but Crocodile was intelligent too. Enough to entice her with more than just good looks. Nami's advice to relax and just go with whatever she felt was tempting, but she couldn't do it. Knowing Crocodile was trying to bring down her company meant that Vivi couldn't give in to him, no matter how delicious he made her feel. That was that. Her heart hardened by her pep talk, Vivi marched back to her desk and started busily writing up the appointments and meetings for next month. She wasn't going to let anything interfere with this job, not even herself!

* * *

Vivi's self imposed exile from the head's office had actually been going quite well. She'd even managed to avoid his latest call for a caffeine hit by sending it in with another helpless secretary, all the while exclaiming how busy she was and no of _course _he won't mind you bringing it. As she finished up the last of her tasks, minutes before she planned to head out to grab a bit of lunch, she let a smug smile tug at her lips. At this rate she wouldn't have to see Crocodile for the rest of the day. Vivi shoved the last file back into its place on the bottom shelf, unaware that someone was enjoying the view. She clambered back to her feet, turned around, and screamed.

Several moments later Vivi was sitting on her chair trying to calm her racing heartbeat, both members of the party having been startled out of their wits.

"What the _hell_, you scared the crap out of me!" Vivi managed to gasp out. "Don't sneak up on me like that again!"

Crocodile get her a very irritated look, "You just screamed like a banshee in my ear. I'm not doing that to myself willingly."

Vivi was angry and embarrassed and that made her snappy. "What were you even _doing_? I'm about to go on my lunch break!"

At that Crocodile finally smiled, though Vivi was certain that there was a hint of mischief in his eyes. "Well, I was thinking you've been working so hard lately…"  
He trailed off and gave Vivi and expectant look, his whole demeanour that of one waiting for a trap to spring.

"I … suppose?"

"To busy to bring me my coffee if I remember correctly."

_Damn _he had been paying attention. In a voice like molten treacle, saccharine sweet, he said: "So it's only right that I treat you to lunch. After all, I'm the one that's been working you so hard."

So that was it! He was pressganging her into… a lunch date?

"Huh?" Vivi managed to say, with all the grace and intelligence that befitted a lady of her station. Crocodile quirked an eyebrow at her and slowly said, "Me. Treat. You. Lunch. Are we clear or do you need another moment to recover?"

However, even a barb like that wasn't enough to entice Vivi into action. She thought this was a strange office game, a teasing comment, a lingering look, but nothing more than that. What was the powerful business shark Sir. Crocodile doing asking her on a lunch date?

"So get what you need and let's go. I'm hungry."  
Well maybe 'ask' wasn't quite the right word.

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Vivi wasn't entirely sure why she had agreed to this, frankly kind of weird, scenario. It could have been because he hadn't given her time to consider bailing, perhaps it was because she had still been exhibiting symptoms of shock… Though if she was being honest with herself, which she wasn't sure she wanted to be, it was probably because he was smoking hot. …And magnetic, and witty and devilishly charming… Damn. She'd been ushered into a posh little café called 'Whiskey Peak' in the centre of Grand Line City. It was beautiful and Vivi instantly suspected that Crocodile was trying to impress her. It was sort of endearing, and she was sure her cheeks were flushed apple red at the idea of her imposing boss making an effort to win her admiration. On the other hand it was frightening. Any kind of relationship with Crocodile was impossible, no matter what, and it was scary to see that she might find it harder to resist him than she'd originally thought. She had enough discipline to only admire good looks from afar but Crocodile was intelligent and had a hilariously dark sense of humour. If he decided to turn on the charm there was a real danger that Vivi could find herself ensnared.

They were sitting in a secluded little booth, both of them with a light sandwich. Now they were actually sitting together alone a blanket of near crippling awkwardness seemed to have fallen over the both of them. The light teasing and banter that lent itself so well to their casual work relationship suddenly seemed inappropriate now they were somewhere different. Vivi was slightly puzzled as to why Crocodile was even insisting on a date, if that's what it even was. She'd done as much research as possible on him before she started here, but everything she'd heard painted Sir Crocodile as a one night stand sort of guy. He was too focused on his work to waste time with wooing a woman with nice dinners when buying a couple of drinks in a seedy bar was enough to get him what he wanted.

'_So why has he brought me here?' _Such a change of character was enough to put Vivi on edge. Could he suspect something? Was this a way to make her let her guard down and then pounce? But Vivi couldn't see any trace of suspicion in his eyes, only mild embarrassment which seemed out of place on his strong features.

After a few moments of painful silence Crocodile ordered another coffee and Vivi didn't smother her laugh in time. She found herself pinned with an intense look, as if Crocodile wasn't quite sure how to react to that. "…What?"

His deep voice was full of suspicion. Vivi couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. "Just hoping they have a caffeine rehab centre nearby. Looks like you're in the later stages of a hardcore addiction."

At this Crocodile, well he didn't smile, but it looked like it took some effort not to. "Why, Vivi." His voice was smug and patronising, "I didn't know you cared so much about me."

His tone was harsh, but Vivi could see the spark in his eye and was getting better at understanding his teasing. She smothered another giggle before resting her chin on her hand. "Oh, Mr Crocodile, I can't help it. You're so suave and intelligent."

Just to really push it, Vivi made her voice breathy and battered her eyelashes ridiculously. At this Crocodile did crack a little, letting out a quiet snort of laughter. "I sense you're being insincere with me. How hurtful."

Vivi just laughed and finished the last of her sandwich. God dammit! She was flirting with him! Everyone clap for the girl with the worst self control in the Grand Line business circle. As the lunch progressed and moved to light conversation Vivi grew frustrated to realise that she and Crocodile seemed to have more in common than she hoped. They both liked buildings that were tall enough to give a view of the desert beyond the outskirts of Grand Line City, both had a preference for sun holidays… The look on Crocodile's face at the thought of _skiing _was hilarious, but Vivi agreed wholeheartedly. It was frustrating to know it would probably just get harder to resist her intimidating boss.

However, she couldn't help herself from exchanging more light-hearted barbs with him throughout lunch. And if she let her skirt ride a couple of inches up her smooth thighs… well there was no harm in that. And if Crocodile let his eyes linger? She was allowed to feel just a little bit pleased with herself. What harm could it do?

* * *

A week after their bizarre lunch date, Crocodile finally made his move. He'd spent the week making his interest clear, at first subtly but growing increasingly bolder as Vivi flirted coyly back, helpless to stop herself. Every time she found herself responding to one of his many advances she desperately told herself that there was no harm in a little teasing. It didn't have to mean that she was compromising her mission. That there was nothing to the shivers of delight that ran over her skin at the thought of those molten eyes on her.

Vivi carefully swung the door to Crocodile's office with her hip. Her hands were full with thick files and the ever-present cup of coffee as she entered the room. Crocodile was engrossed with his emails and barely glanced at her, just murmuring vaguely, "Just put the files on the table there."

The pretty girl complied with a heavy sigh, more for show than anything, before moving around to the main desk to place the coffee cup within easy reach. As she straightened to leave Vivi nearly jumped out of her skin to see Crocodile's lazy golden eyes boring into her. "W-what?"

For once in their battle Crocodile was gracious and let the stutter slide and just shrugged. Okaaaay. That was weird. Suspicious and on red alert, Vivi started to turn to leave. However, before she could move an inch she felt his large, warm hand close around her wrist and pull her gently closer to his intimidating presence.

Those damned molten eyes burned her skin where he looked at her. Vivi could feel the heat of her face, sure that she now clashed magnificently with her hair. Sir Crocodile didn't seem to mind judging by the way he carefully brushed his thumb over the delicate skin of her wrist and kissed it softly. Vivi felt faint. Her skin tingled where he touched her and she trembled at the feel of those lips softly pressed against her skin. He was too much. She knew in that moment that she was in over her head. He was too much and too strong and too magnetic and her heart beat so strong in her chest that she couldn't breathe. Carefully Crocodile pulled her closer still, eyeing her like a lamb being brought to the slaughter. The air was so charged with tension that Vivi thought she might faint as she tried to gather the willpower to break free. Even looking away from those eyes was impossible. She slowly let herself be pulled into his lap and the way he was looking at her _hurt _fromthe way it made her heart pound. Slowly, as if he was worried she would flee, Crocodile pulled her hair gently to the side, the sensation cooling her heated skin a little, and pressed a firm kiss to her neck. Vivi gasped and arched into the sensation. Everything felt too hot and close and tight, but her only desire was to press closer.

Crocodile was obviously pleased by this, if his cut off chuckle was anything to go by, and he pressed another firm kiss to her neck, nipping lightly. Thoughtlessly Vivi's fingers moved up to curl in his hair as she panted slightly. This was too much, already too far. She had to get a grip! After a moment Crocodile pulled back and softly raised her chin with the tip of a powerful finger. And kissed her.

Well. He almost did. Vivi shivered in relief as she pushed him a little further back, her delicate hand splayed across his chest. She'd manage to stop him! Vivi didn't want to think about how sunk she would have been if he'd kissed her properly. She nearly fell apart from a caress. Crocodile's expression was carefully neutral as he watched her. The face of a predator sensing his prey about to make a break for it. Without thinking her tongue ran over suddenly dry lips and those burning eyes dropped to the movement with interest. Eventually he drawled, "No?"

His chest rumbled underneath her fingers and Vivi shut her eyes and tried to calm her racing heart. Her whole body felt like it was burning up. She wanted it, she wanted him, loath as she was to admit it. But her family, her company, would always come first. "No."

The moment stretched between them, becoming something of a staring contest. Finally Crocodile straightened a little and his grip on her loosened just a touch. Not much though, his reluctance was obvious. 'And thrilling', Vivi's treacherous side whispered. Before her weakness could pull her back to him, Vivi slipped out of his warm, strong arms and left Crocodile's office. Trying not to look like she was running away.

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**There we have it folks, chapter 3. Sorry again for the wait. As always hope you enjoy and let me know what you thought. : ) **


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